The ten-foot hallway has a knot of five walkers advancing.
The red lights that were once Alessia's eyes burn unusually bright as she draws herself up to her full height, her shield raised before her. Moving between the walkers and the vulnerable spellcasters, she picks a target and delivers a powerful blow with her sword.
"Thanks Mem. OK, if we can get to the open doors before the occupants get out, just close the doors and leave them. Our predecessor in the wash room has proven they arent smart enough to open a door. I hope."
"Otherwise, save as many spells as we can, just in case. Armored front and back, lets go,... Whoaa!"
Justin was so busy talking that he didnt notice the knot of walkers until Alessia tears into them.
From the quiver hanging on his bandolier, Justin pulls out a dark metal mace.
"Lets do this,..."
Alessia:21 (kill)
Martin: 18
Justin: 16
Memnon: 16: shutting doors
Sarasota: 15
Karrin: 13
Avrahim: 11
Merle: 9
Walkers: Always bottom of init
Martin hews at the undead with Trueheart, the massive sword cutting two down effortlessly
Memnon zips Back Down the hallway, using his mage hand to slam doors as he goes
"Heh. Now THAT'S using your head Memnon." The wizard chuckles as the purple skull zips down the hallway and closes doors.
STaying tight behind Martin and Alessia, Justin takes a swing at the first 'walker' to get within reach as they move. (Presuming any manages to survive both Martin and Alessia!)
Justin’s mace connects, his blow glancing off the dead horror’s shoulder with little effect
Alessia:21 kill 2
Martin: 18 kill 2
Justin: 16 hit 1
Sarastra: 15 holding
Karrin: 13 pending
Avrahim: 11
Merle: 9 grease
Mel: 7
Walkers: Always bottom of init
Merle casts grease behind the advancing party. The first few walkers to reach the hallway from below trip on the greasy film
Karrin will move down the hall to help Alessia, moving to j21, and then she's gonna start helping with the clearning:
Justin’s mace connects, his blow glancing off the dead horror’s shoulder with little effect
Justin looks at his mace as if it's defective. His eyes narrowed.
"Well. That was,... underwhelming. Maybe I should stick to casting?"
"Well. That was,... underwhelming. Maybe I should stick to casting?"
"Yes, maybe you should," hisses Alessia.
Justin opens his mouth and narrows his eyes, ready to retort.
Then he shrugs.
"Well, yeah. That's fair. You've been spending ENTIRELY too much time with Karrin,..."
Justin opens his mouth and narrows his eyes, ready to retort.
Then he shrugs."Well, yeah. That's fair. You've been spending ENTIRELY too much time with Karrin,..."
Alessia lets out something resembling a small sigh as she raises her sword for another deadly blow, shoulder-to-shoulder with the diminutive tiefling battlemage.
"I do not understand your reference, Justin. Perhaps you should stay behind us and focus on clearing a path. I quickly grow weary of destroying these... things."
The party has cleared the initial hallway. Memnon has zipped ahead, and the sound of slamming doors echoes down from the hallway. Behind them, the horde of undead from below is piling up, trying to walk through the morass of their fallen comrades. Merle spreads another grease spell down the hallway to impede them further
Memnon zips back to report
“Just a few stragglers boss. As long as you keep moving you should be fine “
The group makes its way up the hallway, killing Walkers as they go. They wind around the levels until they reach a door marked
LIGHT ROOM ACCESS STAFF ONLY
The door is locked, and looks sturdy
"Nngh..."
Alessia lets out a small disgusted noise before aiming a savage kick at the door.
"Good job Memnon!" Justin calls to the floating skull as they hasten down the hallway.
Justin looks at the door as Alessia boots it.
"What the heck is a 'Light Room'?" he mutters, clearly not expecting an answer.
Alessia kicks the door, but it holds.
Justin looks at Alessia's armored form, and raises an eyebrow at the still-locked door.
"Hm. They build pretty good stuff here." He observes dryly.
The mage rubs his hand down the small tubes attached to his bandolier. He frowns.
"Of COURSE I don't have a Knock spell scroll. THAT would be too easy!"
"Martin, Karrin, maybe if you help her try to batter it down? Unless you think your axe could freeze it or something Karrin? I'd love to be able to lock it behind us, but at this point I'll take getting out of here!"
"I think Alessia is the strongest one here, maybe we could help her, if I grab one arm and Martin grabs the other, we might be able to fling her at the door, simulating a good run up, and Alessia does the test?"
That should give Alessia a +2 to the next strength check
The party hammers at the door until it finally buckles. They enter a strange glass pyramid. Strangely, all the giant windows seem intact. There are large glass and metal constructs scattered in a grid pattern on the floor. A large runged stair on rollers is in the corner. Several of the windows above have what look to be latches.
As they look over this odd room, they hear a sound. It’s not a moaning of the Walkers, rather it’s a loud conversation of some sort
"Light... room..."
Justin enters with the rest, looking for a way to prop the door closed on the Walkers. But tilts his head as he struggles to identify the sound of,... talking?
"Light,... room?" Justin echoes Alessia a she looks around the room.
"Ah. OK. THAT makes sense." He says mostly to himself,...
Alessia hears a voice clearly
“The Juicebags went this way!”
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Alessia tilts her head to one side in a quick, owl-like motion.
"Justin. Do you hear that? They are saying... Juice...bags? If I am correct, I believe they may be referring to... all of you. If you wish to survive, you may do well to increase your speed."
"That sounds mildly derogatory."
The metal ladder reaches up to the skylight above.
Martin looks at Justin and grimaces
“I believe you said something about leaping off the top of the accursed pyramid? That doesn’t sound as bad as it one did “
"That sounds mildly derogatory."
"Yes it does. I think we should take our obviously unwanted business elsewhere." Justin quips. He looks up, and up, at the metal ladder that reaches, eventually, to the skylight above.
Justin sighs. "Ladders. WHY did have to be LADDERS?!?"
Martin looks at Justin and grimaces.
“I believe you said something about leaping off the top of the accursed pyramid? That doesn’t sound as bad as it once did.“
"Yep. I hope everyone is wearing their winter galoshes. I think we should make our exit post-haste!" Justin says, heading for the ladder with sudden alacrity.
"Oh, anyone spot anything we can use as a sled? If we're sliding down the side of a pyramid I don't want to sand off or tear the back of these trousers. Who knows when or where I'll get the chance to replace them and the group doesn't need the distraction of at least 3 of you staring at my backside. Bad enough now with it fully covered."
"I have NO idea what she's talking about. Do you?"
Memnon pipes up from behind Karrin. Where he currently floats JUST out of backhand axe range, and about waist level, his eyelights glowing a leering green,...
"You have to appreciate good muscle tone!"
"Climb NOW. Leer later!" Justin hisses as he stows his implements away in the magical quiver and races for the ladder.
"Memnon, take a peek up top, warn us of any 'surprises' will you? Alessia. Karrin. Climb up first. Then the rest of us. I want Alessia out of range of Mel's positive energy burst. Mel, Martin, can you bring up the rear? Just hold them off long enough for us to get up top and give you cover fire." Justin says, already waiving Alessia and Karrin to the ladder.
Not waving frantically. No. But,... 'enthusiastically'.
"I have NO idea what she's talking about. Do you?"
Memnon pipes up from behind Karrin. Where he currently floats JUST out of backhand axe range, and about waist level, his eyelights glowing a leering green,...
"You have to appreciate good muscle tone!"
Alessia lets out a now-familiar [disgusted noise], throwing her hands up in exasperation.
"Ugh... Magic-user, I seem to recall that your benefactor instructed us to leap from the apex of the pyramid. If that is what we must do, as I stated previously, I would suggest we make haste."
She pauses, her own eyelights appearing to narrow in contempt.
"If your enchanted skull continues to make comments, it would give me great pleasure to crush it into powder. Its presence alone brings back... unpleasant memories."
Alessia begins to climb up the ladder.
"Weird that skulls aren't into skeletons," Karrin says waving Memnon away, "I mean if that were the case you'd think he'd be more interested in your bony butt Alessia . . . ahh, which is very . . . bony? Not sure what skeletons find attractive actually. You're the prettiest female skeleton I've seen . . . I think. Hard to judge these things. I'm a bit more used to seeing flesh on things."
The party clambers up the iron ladder swiftly. It takes a second to get the large glass window open, it functions on a hand crank that is a bit stuck. Finally, they manage to get it open. As they emerge onto the darkened glass slope, they hear the door open behind them. Several gaunt looking zombies emerge. They are unlike the others they have seen, as they look more whole, not sporting any of the horrific rot or wounds that the crowd of zombies had. They also carry crossbows and odd-looking gunpowder weapons. They point up at the party as they balance precariously on a narrow ridge just outside the skylight. They are obviously intelligent.
Mr. Case,
Enclosed are the portal keys you will need to follow the secret path to the Citadel of Ruin. Follow these instructions:
At the Ubiquitous Wayfarer, ask to see the door of Fate. Enter that silver coin into the slot in the door and step through to the False Castle.
At the false castle, you must seek its neighbor, the Black Pyramid. Inside, find a washroom and stab yourself in the heart with the Ghost Dagger. This will bring you to the Pyramid of the Dead.
In the Pyramid of the Dead, you must find your way to its apex and jump, holding the peacock feather. This will bring you to the Peak of Abarntal.
Seek the Tomb of the Ice King, and within touch the Iron Cube. This will bring you to the cavern wherein the Citadel of Ruin lies.
Good luck
~M
"Weird that skulls aren't into skeletons," Karrin says waving Memnon away, "I mean if that were the case you'd think he'd be more interested in your bony butt Alessia . . . ahh, which is very . . . bony? Not sure what skeletons find attractive actually. You're the prettiest female skeleton I've seen . . . I think. Hard to judge these things. I'm a bit more used to seeing flesh on things."
Memnon sniffs as he levitates just out of battleaxe range
"I am NOT a skull. I am a crystal construct vessel for a spirit of intellect that just happens to be fashioned like one of your meatbag skulls. That was not my aesthetic choice. I enjoy the female form as I present as male. When I get the option to drive one of you around I always have a good time with women."
"Not. Helping." Justin mutters to Memnon through tightly clenched teeth.
"Although NOW I want to know more about,... NOW what?!" Justin exclaims aloud as the newest undead arrive to the party.
"Hooo boy. Intact, carrying weapons, and look like they know how to use 'em. NOT good. Merle, use your fog-mist! And everyone join hands! Mem! In the coat!" Justin hisses hastily as he reaches over his shoulder and pulls a long, well-preserved peacock feather from his magical haversack.
He waits a moment for Merle to cast her mist spell, (OR tells him to bugger off) and makes sure that everyone is touching in a chain and connected to him in some way,...
Then he holds aloft the peacock feather as if brandishing a sword, and yells "Jump, NOW!"
"Thishadbetterwork,..."
The group joins hands and jumps off the glass top of the pyramid. The force of their jump keeps them from hitting the side of the pyramid, but there is a wrenching feeling as they all tumble towards the darkened pavement hundreds of feet below. As they accelerate, a nimbus of light forms around them and there is a bright flash. Their stomachs do that odd twisting feeling and suddenly they are hurtling towards a featureless wall of white.
They hit, and discover that it is snow. The snow cushions their fall, they hit with a jarring *thumph* that buries them two meters into the fine powder.
It is COLD. Colder than any of them have ever felt. The air is breathable, but it sears the lungs. Crawling out of the snow, the party finds itself on the lower summit of a tall mountain, one of many marching off to the horizon. They see a further peak towering above them. The sky is Grey with clouds, and a slight snow whips through the gusty air
.
Justin clambers out of the hole he made, floundering like a fish on land.
He manages to get out finally, (to the accompaniment of Memnon's ridicule).
He stands, brushing the snow off, and grins until the first breeze hits him.
"OH. That is,... COLD!" He huffs in a cloud of frozen breath.
Memnon snorts. Somehow even the breath of his non-living magical housing causes the air to fog.
"Understatement of the century great-bag-of-mostly-water-soon-to-be-frozen-solid!" The crystal skull chatters.
The group quickly unlimbers their packs and Don various cold-weather gear. The temperature is horribly low, their breath coming out in deep plumes. . The wind slices them like knives as runnels of snow whip around them.
Avrahim looks particularly pained as he dons a thick fur parka
“I dislike the cold”
Martin raises Trueheart high, illuminating the grey twilight scene
“Did your benefactor mention a direction to find the next point?”
Sarastra seems to stand above the snow, as if weighing nothing. She whisks off the snow covering her dress briskly. Her dress ripples and refashions from the diaphanous silks she had been wearing to a royal winter getup buttoned up to her neck with a sweeping ermine cape.
“Well, it smells better here at least”
Mel shakes snow from his armor grumbling
“Too many years fighting in the Lower Planes. Most of them are hot. “
The wind whistles around the party
Even under the effects of an Endure Elements magic, the cold is bitter. The party can feel that the temperature strains even the potency of their magic boots
Martin raises Trueheart high, illuminating the grey twilight scene
“Did your benefactor mention a direction to find the next point?”
Justin pulls his leather coat closer around him, as if IT could do something to protect him better than the enchanted boots.
"Well. Presuming that this IS the 'Peak of Arbental', Then we need t-t-t-to find the T-t-t-t-tomb of the Ice K-k-king. He didn't bother g-g-g-giving actual d-directions. So I figure it should be b-b-big and easy t-t-to spot. I didn't think it was possible to be THIS cold,..."
Sarastra seems to stand above the snow, as if weighing nothing. She whisks off the snow covering her dress briskly. Her dress ripples and refashions from the diaphanous silks she had been wearing to a royal winter getup buttoned up to her neck with a sweeping ermine cape.
“Well, it smells better here at least”
Seeing the clothing transformation, It is all Justin can do NOT to facepalm himself. He tugs on what appears to be dark ribbons tied to his coat sleeves, and his own clothing goes through a similar metamorphosis. He now wears heavy lined pants and a thick, heavy fur-lined coat with a hood which he swiftly pulls up.
"I don't think I can smell anything anyway. I think my sniffers frozen solid." Justin murmurs.
Mel shakes snow from his armor grumbling
“Too many years fighting in the Lower Planes. Most of them are hot. “
"Heh. Darned if you do, darned if you don't. Can ANYone see anything that looks like a path or a road in this eternal snowstorm?!? Or, I don't know, a big block of ICE with 'Tomb of the Ice King this way' carved into it?!?" Justin asks as he wipes the snow from his face for the third time in as many seconds.
Justin thinks he can see a canyon at the foot of the higher summit. Perhaps there might be a trail leading upwards?
"Weird that skulls aren't into skeletons," Karrin says waving Memnon away, "I mean if that were the case you'd think he'd be more interested in your bony butt Alessia . . . ahh, which is very . . . bony? Not sure what skeletons find attractive actually. You're the prettiest female skeleton I've seen . . . I think. Hard to judge these things. I'm a bit more used to seeing flesh on things."
"I am not a skeleton..." hisses Alessia before leaping from the top of the pyramid.
He stands, brushing the snow off, and grins until the first breeze hits him.
"OH. That is,... COLD!" He huffs in a cloud of frozen breath.
Alessia slowly turns her head in Justin's direction.
"Is it? I did not notice," she replies, sounding more like she's making an observation rather than being sarcastic.
He stands, brushing the snow off, and grins until the first breeze hits him.
"OH. That is,... COLD!" He huffs in a cloud of frozen breath.
Alessia slowly turns her head in Justin's direction.
"Is it? I did not notice," she replies, sounding more like she's making an observation rather than being sarcastic.
"Trust me. It is." Justin replies straightforwardly, also with no hint of sarcasm. (intentional or otherwise.) As he burrows deeper into his now-thicker and fur-lined coat. He wipes snow and ice from his lashes and points upwards.
"Is, is that a canyon? Or at least maybe a path through the snow? Unless anyone can see a better idea, let's check it out. It should at least get us out of the wind for a bit." He manages to say from between chattering teeth.
They begin to head towards the canyon. Despite the magical protection, the snow and wind make for cold going. Finally inside the narrow canyon the wind is muffled by ice-clad rock spires. The group huddles and looks around. There is a large cave mouth half buried in snow. There also seems to be a narrow path leading further up the mountain along the rockface